What’s going on: To paraphrase Justin Timberlake in The Social Network, drop the social media addiction. Just social media. It’s cleaner. Yesterday, in a dramatic about-face, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to end a trial over endangering children with its addictive social media platforms. Four states accused Meta of using the same advertising tactics as Big Tobacco in the 1990s. As for Facebook and Instagram, big changes are coming for teens. Alongside tightening parental controls, there will be a new two-hour daily time limit, and instead of being able to doomscroll in bed, nighttime usage will be capped and notifications silenced. Meta is also strengthening age verification tools and protections for children against “unwanted contact from strangers.” Its platforms will also limit beauty filters and hide the total number of “likes” on pics to ease social anxieties among teens. Some changes have already been introduced, but other features will be rolled out over the next six months and could take up to a year.
A precedent with reach: The landmark settlement — one of the highest ever paid by a tech company to states — could signal an inflection point for social media companies. For years, Big Tech has faced accusations that their products have hurt teens’ mental health. Now, money from the settlement will support after-school programs, crisis intervention services, and mental health initiatives. One Stanford law professor said, “Meta wouldn’t settle unless it sees the writing on the wall and feels really exposed." Colorado’s attorney general said the agreement exceeded what most courts might order. This deal could impact legal claims against TikTok, YouTube, and Snap, which all face thousands of lawsuits from states, schools, and teenagers. DC’s attorney general noted that while Meta was the first to settle, it "will not be the last." We’d be fine if Meta made the change for adults, too.
